


Season 7 Blues

by smallerfish



Category: Blaseball (Video Game)
Genre: Other, Romantic Angst, The Breath Mints(Blaseball Team)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27057352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallerfish/pseuds/smallerfish
Summary: Necromancy is a go! Jaylen Hotdogfingers is back to life, but no one's happy about it, least of all Jaylen. Boyfriend Monreal deals with their complicated feelings over the return of a long-dead crush.
Relationships: Jaylen Hotdogfingers/Boyfriend Monreal
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. You Came Back Angry

It wasn't about the beaning.  
  
Boyfriend Monreal had expected they'd be happy to see Jaylen back. They loved that for the Garages (even if it meant Mike was Shadowed), they loved the reunions her resurrection would bring. They loved what this moment symbolized, that someday they might see Eddie, and Whit again. And Randall, Tiana, Caligula, Violence. Boyf loved it when everyone was together with the people they loved.  
  
But Jaylen seemed... different. She'd always been angry, like, at the gods. All the Garages were. It was their best trait, aside from lovability, and music, and style, and okay there was a lot to love about the Garages. But Jaylen's anger was had changed. Unfocused, unclear.  
  
Boyf had liked old Jaylen. She was confident, close with her team, ready to play blall and win, and always seemed happiest on the mound. They'd flirted in the past, mostly in between pitches, and Boyf was going to ask her on a date in the postseason, but well... And now Jaylen was different. Stone-faced, quiet on the mound, throwing angry pitch after angry pitch after angry pitch and she wouldn't respond to kind words and she had the right to privacy and time after what happened to her but she didn't Need to Take It Out on Dicke And Stew and Marq and  
  
...  
  
Okay maybe it was a little bit about the beaning  
  
  
Top of the 5th, Boyfriend walked up to the plate. They were worried by how shaken up their teammates were after getting hit by Jaylen. They were worried that they might be hurt or worse. They wanted this game to be over, wanted everyone to be safe. But as they watched first pitch tear by like the ball was the one straight out of the void, the worry faded and they were angry too.  
They had been looking forward to this, so much. Everyone had. And now it was all a mess.  
Maybe Jaylen needed some time. Maybe necromancy was complicated and hard and everyone had to learn the new rules just like the Garages fans were learning the new Mike Townsend song. Maybe if they could talk to Jaylen later.  
  
But today sucked. Today they needed relief. So they gripped their bat tighter, glared across the infield at Jaylen Hotdogfingers, and whispered under their breath that they would be a better Boyfriend tomorrow.  
  
  
Boyfriend took their time going around the bases, skipped a little between second and third. They thought it might have been a home run, but they wanted to steal home again, right in front of Jaylen's empty stare. Hewitt wouldn't have it though. He was, of course, the best, and hit a sacrifice to run them home. Boyf slid into home, dusted themselves off, then bowed to the stands and curtsied to the pitcher's mound in turn.  
  
It was then, as they walked away from the mound, that they felt sad. That maybe no one would ever be happy in blaseball. Even if they brought everyone back from incineration and ended the discipline era, maybe they would still be separated from everyone on every team, and they couldn't be Boyfriend enough.  
  
  
Boyfriend had many eyes, but they did not see Jaylen watching their back as they returned to the dugout. Jaylen had 4 more innings to pitch, and a lot of hurt she had to commit to pay her debt. She couldn't afford any fresh distraction today.


	2. A Quick Check-up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a few stressful games of blaseball, Boyfriend Monreal goes to talk to a friend about their problems

Rod.net was very confusing, at least compared to the arcade machines Oscar was used to back home. Not that most of them had had teeth to clean, but at least they didn't require "Wi-Fi". Oscar sighed and told Rod he could go, but to make sure he flossed at least once everyday. Rod seemed unexpectedly excited about that as he left.

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Alright, well... next?"

Boyfriend Monreal stuck their head around the doorway. "Hi Oscar! How is your day?"

Oscar brushed his apron off and smiled. "It's been a very fine day, just making breath fresher, one player at a time."

"Oh good me too" Boyfriend flopped down in the dentist's chair and ate a mint. "Want one?"

Oscar's smile froze for one, two seconds, then he sighed and held out his hand. Someday...

"So uh, Boyfriend," Oscar said, slowly opening his case of dentist tools. "How has the game been treating you lately?"

"The game is great. Line go up, love da mints. This is like our best season ever but," *Thud* "I'm not doing so great, Oscar."

Oscar turned back to the chair to find it empty, only Boyfriend's shoes peaking over the edge.

"I, ah, hmm. What's the matter?"

Boyfriend's shoes disappeared, replaced shortly after with two spectral eyes. "Oscar... I think I'm mad at someone."

"Did you have a breakup? Would you like to talk about it?

Boyfriend jumped to their feet. "Oh no, no no no." They blushed. "I mean well, yes. Grey and I broke up. But we're totally fine! He's looking for someone else I think so we're all happy. We're fine!"

Oscar gave them his best old man look, but he knew it was unnecessary. He'd never seen Boyfriend lie, and concealing things was something they did for other people, not themself.

"Is that so?" He harrumphed. 

Boyfriend nodded rapidly. "Grey is fine, I'm fine. It's okay."

"So who or what isnt fine?"

Boyfriend started sinking back down to the floor. "It's Jaylen." 

Oscar nodded. "I see. That was a rough game."

"Oh my god it was Such a rough game! Marq and everyone aren't Unstable anymore, but we never figured out what it meant, and Jaylen's still beaning people. They feel better but I'M worried."

"So you're concerned for your friends' well-being, and you're mad at Jaylen for hurting them."

"Yes! I mean, no! Maybe?!?! Is that a good enough reason to be mad about?"

"Boyfriend... You're allowed to feel mad about things, even if they're small things."

"But I don't know what I'm supposed to DO about it! aufglhualfghaugalh." Boyfriend released a long stream of muffled frustration noises. Oscar peered over the chair to see them lying face down on their hat, arms outstretched. "Ah... that sort of problem." He thought, sitting back down.

Oscar waited until the mutterations had stopped then cleared his throat helpfully. "Do you want to know what I do when I'm mad at my husband?"

A frumpled Boyfriend crept back into the dentist's chair. "You get mad, Oscar?"

"Oh yes, every third Tuesday, I have a terrible anger problem." Oscar chuckled.

Boyfriend laughed and leaned in, resting their chin on their hands. "What do you do?"

"When I get mad at Devin, I sit down and give it a think. I tell myself that he is very important to me, and I don't want to lose him. Then I need to understand about myself that keeping my anger inside will only make it worse. Then I don't take it out on Devin, I go and I tell him that I am angry, that I feel maybe wronged or hurt. Then we have a nice conversation, preferably over some calming green tea, until we properly understand each other."

"So you think I should just... go tell Jaylen I'm mad at her?"

"I think you should do what's best for yourself and for what you want from Jaylen from this point forward. You should value your friends, but you should not discount your anger. Tell Jaylen. If she can't understand you have feelings, you may just keep getting angry, which would be unhealthy."

"She... she said good game to me, after it was all over. But I didn't say anything back. Do you think I hurt her with my anger? Do you think I ruined my chance to make things better?"

Oscar frowned and shook his head. "You can't know unless you talk to her, but I don't think so."

"Oh. Okay. I will try." Boyfriend got quiet for a second. "How have you been, Oscar? I know you haven't seen Devin for a while."

Oscar sighed and leaned back into his chair. He looked at the ceiling, then back at Boyfriend, and for a second he thought he could hear muffled arcade music. "We're fine. I miss him a lot, but I'll go see him in a couple weeks, when the chaos of Jaylen being back has settled down."

Boyfriend tilted their head sideways. "Would you like a hug?" 

An unexpected tear sprung into Oscar's eye. "I... I am always happy for hugs. Would you like a hug?"

Boyfriend nodded, then leaped off the chair and hugged him. The arcade music in his head grew louder, then went silent. Oscar reached up to wipe away the tear. "Game must be getting to me" he thought. 

They stayed that way for a while, then Boyfriend leaped away.

"Oh I'm really sorry, Oscar, but I just remembered I'd promised to meet PDZ for milkshakes. She's never had one before cause she hasn't had a stomach that long and I really want to introduce her to new foods."

"Oh, ah." Oscar sighed internally. Another failed appointment. "Well, we can do this another time, but I have a gift for you." He held out a bag with some toothpaste, floss, and a toothbrush

"For me?" Boyfriend took the bag and gave Oscar another quick hug. "Thank you so much! I'll keep it in my locker where I can see it everyday."

"Actually, I uh, would hope that you find it useful."

"I'm sure I will!" Boyfriend reached into their pocket and pulled out a blaseball base. "I want you to have this. It's not much, but I stole it a few games back and I know you don't get to take any as a pitcher."

They handed the base to Oscar expectantly. "And Oscar, I know we're not dating, but I want you to know that I am here for you if you're ever stressed or need someone to talk to."

Oscar took the base and set it gently on his chair. "Thank you, Boyfriend. I'm not sure we're supposed to literally steal the bases."

Boyfriend was already walking out the door. "You're a great friend and also a very good dentalist man, Oscar. I'll see you at the game tomorrow!"

"If you see Morse can you send them in to see me?" Oscar called out. Boyfriend had already left through the door, but a spectral eye slipped through the cracks and winked at him.

Oscar reached into a nearby shelf and pulled out the light dimmer. At least there was one player on the mints he could talk into a cleaning.

\-------------------------------------------------------

"The sky was dark, not like rain, but like a tornado. One that was fixing to tear up the countryside and twist it into knots. Just like my case." Dickerson Morse took a long, satisfying pull of his cigarette, then breathed out the smoke of frustration.

Morse reached into his coat and pulled out a manila folder. Inside was a single piece of paper with Peanut??? written on it in big letters, and Hotdogfingers??? underneath in small text, as there wasn't a lot of room left. "Trail's as fresh as a mint, but there's as many leads as there are tacos. He muttered.

"Dickie!" A cheerful voice called out. Morse pushed his newsie cap up to see Boyfriend Monreal approaching him.

"Monreal. You're approaching me?"

They kissed him quickly on the cheek. "I have to run, just delivering a message. Oscar wants to see you in his office." Then they skipped off.

Morse sighed. Poor lax, too happy and sweet for this dark city. They made his days better, if only he wasn't married to his night job.

He set off briskly, gently tossing off a rat that had fallen asleep on his shoes. Oscar was well connected in KC, this meeting would be a good one.

...

"Surprised to see you stumbe through my door, Mr Morse."

"Wouldn't have tripped if you kept a decent light on in here."

"My apologies" *click* a floodlight over a reclining chair revealed Oscar Vaughan, slowly tapping his finger on a box of too-clean tools.

"Why surprised, old man? You sent that innocent enby running your errands to fetch me."

"Oh, It's just a wonder you can still find your way around these streets, since you can't find anything else in this city."

"I didn't come here to be insulted, old man."

Oscar furrowed his brow. "Must be hard for you to go anyway then, hm?" 

Morse opened his mouth to reply then caught a sudden pattern in Oscar's tapping "ening"

Someone might be listening.

"Hm, maybe it is, Oscar. What do you suggest I do about that?"

"Maybe it's your breath, Morse." Oscar gestured to his chair. "Come, freshen up a little."

"Alright, but you better be good."

Morse settled into the chair and Oscar began tapping away at his teeth, slowly and rhythmically, as the sun set on another day in Kansas City.

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place at the beginning of season 7, the first game where Jaylen hit players with a pitch after her return.


End file.
